In November we mentioned that plans for an ambitious cultural district on Saadiyat Island just outside of Abu Dhabi were on indefinite hold due the city's struggling economy. The development includes plans for a branch of the Louvre by Jean Nouvel and a Guggenheim outpost by Frank Gehry.

But today the New York Times announced that Abu Dhabi had approved the budgets and opening dates of the two museums and other local projects. No further explanation or details were provided, according to the Times. This could be happy news for Gehry who told Bloomberg News in October that the project delay was "painful."

Atelier Jean Nouvel's design for the Louvre Abu Dhabi
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Rendering Courtesy TDIC